Pheasants

Barneyc

Having tried to rear birds for May years now with little success a few years ago I decided to concentrate on habitat improvement .

I have a small holding abt 35 acres the frams next to mine are in reps which helps greatly as they have a fence 2m offset from the headland which psi there is a 2m strip of long grass before my farm which has thick hedges abt 4-5m of trees and shrubs. Predator control plays a big part i lost count of the amount of grey crows and magpies I accounted for along with a couple of foxes

I am always constantly trying to improve my small holding by planting corners of fields fencing off areas of wild grasses etc.

In the last couple of years I have shot just under the amount of birds I would have shot on years gone by where I wild have reared 20 plus birds.

An ex excellent book to read is a small shoot revisited by will garfitt

useurowname

Barneyc wrote: »

Having tried to rear birds for May years now with little success a few years ago I decided to concentrate on habitat improvement .

I have a small holding abt 35 acres the frams next to mine are in reps which helps greatly as they have a fence 2m offset from the headland which psi there is a 2m strip of long grass before my farm which has thick hedges abt 4-5m of trees and shrubs. Predator control plays a big part i lost count of the amount of grey crows and magpies I accounted for along with a couple of foxes

I am always constantly trying to improve my small holding by planting corners of fields fencing off areas of wild grasses etc.

In the last couple of years I have shot just under the amount of birds I would have shot on years gone by where I wild have reared 20 plus birds.

An ex excellent book to read is a small shoot revisited by will garfitt

Fair play to ya mate. Pity there aren't more land owners like you.

Barneyc

useurowname wrote: »

Fair play to ya mate. Pity there aren't more land owners like you.

Cheers pal, I find it very rewarding I have noticed a remarkable increase in wildlife of all sorts no just game plus the wild birds are way more sport.!!!!

mallards

Have you thought about putting in a little bit of game crop or creating a small flight pond. It did wonders for my ground when I did it. Sounds a great place as it is anyway.

Capercaille

Late cutting of silage will increase the number of pheasant fledged.

useurowname

Barneyc wrote: »

Cheers pal, I find it very rewarding I have noticed a remarkable increase in wildlife of all sorts no just game plus the wild birds are way more sport.!!!!

Great stuff, proof that shooting is beneficial to all of our wildlife. Wish Id a few a acres to do something like that with.

Barneyc

mallards wrote: »

Have you thought about putting in a little bit of game crop or creating a small flight pond. It did wonders for my ground when I did it. Sounds a great place as it is anyway.

Yep next year I'm thinking of fencing off say 1/2 acre making it fox proof and planting some game cover way I see it two or three broods can be brought up in this fenced off are its 20-30 wild pheasants.

Padd2

good on ya .. fox control i a major side to bird numbers!! and keep the cats away also !!

Barneyc

Barneyc wrote: »

Yep next year I'm thinking of fencing off say 1/2 acre making it fox proof and planting some game cover way I see it two or three broods can be brought up in this fenced off are its 20-30 wild pheasants.

What size is your flight pond mallards.?

mallards

Barneyc wrote: »

What size is your flight pond mallards.?

I've two of them about a quarter of an acre each. Then there's two loughs nearby one is about twelve acres and the other about five.

270WIN

i too have tried the same..improved habitat, feeding , etc...but unfortunately buzzards have moved in and all wild clutches are being wiped out. Foxes cats crows magpies can be dealt with but unfortunately the buzzards cannot be touched..all i can do is rear birds to 12 weeks and release them but its not the same as hunting a truly wild bird

Birdnuts

Its highly unlikely that buzzards have any significant effect on overall Pheasant numbers. Much work has been done on their diet here and the UK. The main live prey consists of rabbits, rats, young crows and pigeons. Much of time they just scavange. Despite their large wingspan they only weigh 2-3 pounds and being rather lazy inactive birds they don't require much food in any case. Below is few links on the matter including a study from the UK tracking the fate of pheasant poults after release. As can be seen foxes are responsible for the vast majourity of pheasant predation. There is a large buzzard population on Blessington Game club land and still plenty of wild birds. Its the same story with the succesfull Partridge project in Boora Co. Offaly

http://duhallow.blogspot.ie/p/buzzards-in-duhallow.html

www.snh.gov.uk/docs/A253112.pdf

And this study on the fate of pen reared birds by the Game Conservation Trust UK

http://www.gwct.org.uk/research/species/birds/common-pheasant/fate-of-released-pheasants/

Barneyc

Interesting reading bird seed what are your thoughts on grey crows.? I was travelling on a bus a number of years ago and I remember seen two grey crows having a go at a hen pheasant who I can only assume was trying to protect her nest.!!!

Birdnuts

Barneyc wrote: »

Interesting reading bird seed what are your thoughts on grey crows.? I was travelling on a bus a number of years ago and I remember seen two grey crows having a go at a hen pheasant who I can only assume was trying to protect her nest.!!!

Grey crows are indeed a menace to nesting birds etc. and have always done well living in close proximity to man. Probably cos they are so smart and adaptable compared to most other bird species. The law recognises this in allowing their control by shooting/trapping. I regularly do both on my own landholding, and on Blessington Game club grounds(which cover a couple of thousand acres in and around the Lake) up to 200 are trapped most years by the folks in charge and this has been of immense benefit to many ground nesting birds such a Lapwing, Ringed plover etc. all of which now breed regularly in the area.

Barneyc

Gents have a look at what this woman is doing planted up 3 acres as a perma forest.

look up bealtaine cottage planted up 3 acres as a perma forest

Barneyc

Started planting up another corner of field with alder and hazel how many posts before I can attach photos.?

mallards

Good stuff Barney, three more. I think you need to have fifty posts to put in photos but I'm not sure.

shotie

fair play would love to have bit of land to plant up with crops and tress too many fields of grass now. be great to see pics of what you,ve done